Toy fish-tank.



No. 819,468. PATENTED MAY l, 1906.

E. TT SULZER. TOY FISH TANK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY11,1905. T

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS PATENTED MAY 1 E. T. SULZER.

'TOY FISH TANK.

APPLIGATION FILED Mull 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INI/ENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES `PATEN'I OFFICE.

ERNEST T. SULZEE, oF NEW YORK, ns Y.

TOY FISH-TANK.

Specification of Letters.Paterna Patented May 1, 1906.

ippncaan and may 11, 1905; serial No. 259.892.

and means for causing the fish to move about in the tank. The fish are preferably provided with ieces of iron, so that they may be magnetize both for the purpose of catching them upon hooks formed of magnets and for the purpose of providing for their motion in the tank. I prefer to secure thismotion by means of magnets located adjacent to the tank and moved in the Vicinity thereof' out of sight.

yReferenceis to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurell is a central vertical sectional View of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principle-of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the top portion removed and the uprights shown in section, and Fig.V 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

I lhave illustrated a foundation 10, having uprights .11 for supporting a roofor series of covering-plates 12. 'Located on the foundation is a platform 13 for supporting a tank 14.

This tank is preferalby annular in shape, but

may be of any desired form, and it is designed to receive water and artificial fish 15. These fish are preferably provided at some point,

ordinarilynear the lower part of the head,

with a piece of soft iron, which can be readily attracted by a magnet. This feature is not illustrated in thek drawings, as it is well known in toy fishing-tanks and is usually provided for` the purpose of permitting'the fish to be caught on hooks. the iron in the body, of the fish is in the form f of ak magnet in the usual construction; 'but I prefer to have the iron in the fish soft and unmagnetized.

At a point below the center of the platform is a foundation 16, having a step 17 for receiving the lower end of -a vertical shaft 18'. This vertical shaft is rigidly connected with a support 19, which may be solid or in the form Either the hook or 'of a skeleton frame, as indicated in Fig. 2. This platform may be provided with arms 20, and upon it are located a series of electromagnets 21.

side of the shaft 18 from a commutator 23, located near the top of the Shaft. This commutator is preferably fixed upon the shaft and rotates with it, and a pair of brushes 24 conduct current to it' from binding-posts 25, mounted upona stationary bracket 26. The

Shaft and wires are preferably surrounded by` a tube 27, which is mounted in stationary position upon the platform, and the support 19 is preferably connected with the shaft by screws 28. y

The bracket 26 may, if desired, be mount- .ed in a casing 29 at the top of the roof 12, and

in this casing is preferably located a motor 30 for turning the shaft 18. The motor is provided with a pinion 31 and the shaft with a gear 32, by means of which the necessary rotary motion is transmitted.

The o eration of the device is very simple. The tank 14 being filled with water and the fish being placed'in it, the motor 30 is started, carrying t e magnets around in a circle and attracting the fish in the tank, so that they have the a pearance of swimming around the tank, fo lowing the magnets. v The magnets are of course entirely concealed, and consequently there is no visible means of be reversed and the fish will swim in the other direction.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of toy fish, as birds and animals of various kinds either swimmin on the surface of the water or below the sur acc could be operated in a similar manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim' as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent` 1. An amusement device comprising a platformada tedl to su ort a tank for containing toy fis and the like, an attractinv' device for the fish located below the plat ornl and concealed thereby, means for energizing said attracting device, a tube' passing upwardlyl from the platform and adapted to conceal said means, and means for moving the attracting device.

2. A toy comprising a platform adapted to support a water-tank for containing images, means located below the platform for attracting said images, an electric circuit connected These magnets are fed by means of lconductors 22, which may extend down the -moving the fish. If desired, the motor can TIO with said attracting means for energizing it, and means for concealing said circuit.

3. An amusement device comprising a tank for containing water, a series of images having magnetizable material connected therewith and adapted to move in the tank, a series of movable electromagnets located below the tank and concealed from view, an electric circuit connected with said magnets and passing upwardly from a point below the tank to a oint above it, means for concealing said circuit, and means for connecting the circuit with a source of energy.

4. The combination 'with a tank for containing water and toy fish, of a movable support mounted adjacent to the tankmagnets on the support, a rod connected with said support, and conductors from the magnets to a point upon the rod whereby a current may be conducted to the magnets. I

5. The combinatioanwjyith aA tank folicontaining water and toy sh, support mounted adjacent to the tank, electromagnetson the support, a rod upon which said support is mounted, conductors passing from saldmagnets along the rod, means for concealing. said rod and conductors, a commutator on the'. rod and brushes Jfor conducting the current to said conductors, and means Jfor movin the rod.

6. T 1e combination with a tank for con- 7. The combination with a tank for containing waterand toy fish having an iron ortion, of a support rotatably mounted beowgighe tank, magnets on the support, a rod uponwhch said support is mounted, conductors from the magnets to a point upon the rod, a commutator on the rod in connection with said-conductors, brushes bearing upon said commutator, binding-posts connected with the brushes, whereby a current may be conducted to themagnets, a gear-'wheel upon the rod, a motor connected with said gearwheel for rotating the rod, and means for concealing the rod.

In testimony whereof\ l have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST ,'lf, SULZER.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. Koen, WM. GRAU. 

